And so strictly for the purposes of educating ourselves about the handling characteristics of the new Mercedes-AMG C63 S, we ventured out on a rainy day in search of empty tarmac.

As with most any other rear-wheel drive AMG, it doesn’t take much to break the tires loose. You probably won’t be surprised to learn that in the rain that’s doubly true. Prod the C63 S throttle in first or second gear with some steering input and the hooliganism commences.

But it’s controllable hooliganism – the C63 S is predictable, communicative, and very well balanced.

For what it lacks in steering “feel”/feedback it makes up for in chassis brilliance and communication. You sense the balance of the car right in your, well… bum, and through your core. The best performance seats in the business help that process.

Shout out once again to Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires (see our Michelin Pilot Super Sport review). We’ve yet to find an environment in which these tires don’t excel.

Oh, right – did we mention that the C63 S sounds ridiculously good? We think it's the best sounding car of this current performance coupe/sedan generation.